Very goofy take on the futuristic event of a technological singularity. Serious but at the same time funny. In a way it's a thought experiment because it's proposing what will happen when we create something smarter than us. ( )

Rudy has a pretty funny take on what we’re in for when the Internet hooks up with self-replicating nanotechnology. Welcome to the Singularity. Highly recommended. ( )

Dyson spheres, omnividence, teleportation, parallel branes, not to mention an end to the infernal combustion engine. This is the first of Rucker's novels I've read; I think I prefer his nonfiction to his fiction.

This book has fascinating ideas-- a nanotechnology "internet" that encompasses all the senses and pervades the world, a nearby semi-parallel dimension that (Dune-like) has sworn off digital technology... It's also one of the only books that I've read written by a non-Vietnamese author that a) uses the Vietnamese language correctly (he notes the proper pronunciation of Thuy's name, uses the word ban gai with proper Quoc Ngu diacritics), and b) features a Viet-Kieu main character without...more This book has fascinating ideas-- a nanotechnology "internet" that encompasses all the senses and pervades the world, a nearby semi-parallel dimension that (Dune-like) has sworn off digital technology... It's also one of the only books that I've read written by a non-Vietnamese author that a) uses the Vietnamese language correctly (he notes the proper pronunciation of Thuy's name, uses the word ban gai with proper Quoc Ngu diacritics), and b) features a Viet-Kieu main character without making any reference to the war.

The author, famous in sci-fi circles, but not well-known outside of them, has also embraced copyleft initiatives-- he's made the book available in multiple formats for free download on the book web page.

The style of the book is goofy, and reminds me a bit of Vonnegut (though I get the sense that Vonnegut could write beautifully if he wanted to). But the ideas, even more than the plot, drive this book; style isn't everythin ( )

The title alone makes this a must read for anyone who is interested in science fiction. I'm about a third of the way through and it's really drawing me in. It reads a bit like a thought experiment -- the pace of nanochange will be fast, but not *this* fast... but I like the way Rucker mixes the Big Smart Objects with the human heart in conflict. Strongly recommended so far.